Reviewer's bookshelf: "The Piper's Pursuit" by Melanie Dickerson

Book Summary: A fairy-tale journey of intrigue and romance that reimagines the classic Pied Piper story.

A plague of rats. A giant beast outside the village walls. A host of missing children. And one young woman determined to save her people.

In 1424 Hamlin, Katerina faces threats from all sides. An outbreak of rats has overtaken the village, a mysterious beast is on a killing rampage of the village’s children, and Katerina’s evil stepfather is a dark presence inside the walls of her own home. Katerina is determined to hunt and kill the Beast of Hamlin herself before more lives are lost.

When Steffan, the handsome but brash duke’s son, comes to town seeking glory and reward, Katerina decides he might be the ally she’s been looking for—even though the only gentle thing about him seems to be the sweet music he plays on his pipe. But there’s more to Steffan than she suspects, and she finds herself drawn to him despite her misgivings.

Together Katerina and Steffan must stop the enemy from stealing the children of Hamlin. But their interference might create an even worse fate for the entire village.

My thoughts.... From the very beginning, this novel had non-stop action. There is also mystery as the main characters try to solve why the children of the town of Hamlin are disappearing. Melanie Dickerson writes strong female characters, which is exactly what I want my daughter to read as she is always looking for a new book to dive into. In the case of Katarina, she has to learn to trust again as she has been hurt by those who were supposed to protect her. The positive and spiritual messages that were conveyed through the journey that Katarina went on were so well written. I also liked that despite the wounds of her past, Katarina did not use it as an excuse to be bitter and withdrawn...she was brave and never gave up fighting for those who weren't as strong as she was. Life lessons were not only taught through Katarina's story, but also through Steffan's story. In Dickerson's previous book, Steffan makes an appearance as a selfish younger son who tries to bring fortune and fame to himself through some bad choices. "The Piper's Pursuit" shows Steffan's journey is one of humbling himself and pursing forgiveness from those that he has hurt. He also realizes that there are other ways that one can go about being brave and strong. As I read the book, I tried to see it through the intended audience, which is Young Adult. There is a wonderful balance of age appropriate action, romantic tension, and addressing situations that are difficult but described in just the right amount of detail. On a personal note, I love that my daughter (who is 12) and I can share in our love of books together through authors like Melanie. Thanks for another great read!

**I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley in order to share my honest opinions, which I did.**